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Guatemala continues to bury its dead while the volcano does not rest

People attend the burial of Aura Yolanda Perez Paz, 17, who died in San Miguel Los Lotes during the volcanic eruption, in the municipality of Alotenango, Department of Sacatepequez, Guatemala, 12 June 2018. EFE

Guatemala City, Jun 12 (EFE).- Guatemalans on Tuesday bid farewell to their relatives and friends who lost their lives during Fuego Volcano’s eruption on Jun. 3, one of the most violent in recent years.

Although no search and rescue work was carried out in the area on Tuesday, heavy equipment did enter the affected area to clean the mud, stones and ashes that the Fuego Volcano, located only 50 km west of Guatemala City, unleashed during the last hours.

The volcano also released a new column of ash up to an altitude of 5,000 meters above sea level, which moves towards the northwest and north and causes ash fall not only in the ground zero area but also in other communities such as San Miguel Duenas, Ciudad Vieja and La Antigua.

The powerful eruption of the Fuego volcano on 03 June has left at least 114 dead, and destroyed at least 186 homes, an official source reported. EPA/Rodrigo Pardo

Recent torrential rain and the subsequent lahars have further complicated the situation in areas devastated by Fuego Volcano’s eruption on Jun. 3.

The death toll currently stands at 114, while 197 people remain missing and more than 1.7 million Guatemalans are affected, many of whom have lost everything.

In the municipality of Alotenango, in the department of Sacatepequez – one of the most affected – neighbors and mourners buried the remains of Aura Yolanda Perez Paz, 17, who died in San Miguel Los Lotes during the eruption.

The international community continues to offer aid to the country. The European Union announced that it will donate more than $11.7 million for emergency response and recovery and for reconstruction in a new location.